Resilient wheel



Dec. 18, 1928.

J. ALLEN RESILIENT WHEEL I Filed March 30; 1928 a I v I v l LA I H l JaI INVENTOR wlTNr-:ssEs JaakAllen/ Patented Dec. 18 19,28.

- JACK ALLEN, on BROOKLYN, NEW YonK. f l

4misiLrENT WHEEL.

` Y v`Application filed'March 30, 1928; Serial 1\T0.-265,`951.

This invention relatestoj resilient Wheels and has for an object toprovidean improved v construction wherein a very strong fWheel' ispresented'while substantially the resilient orv cushioned eileet ofv aypneumatic` tire is,l produced Without the use of Compressed air.

Another object of lthe' invention is lto lpro-Vv Y videa 'resilientWheel wherein the resilient members are protected While funotioningtoresiliently hold in planea large number of overlapped Contact segments.j

Av stillfurther obj ectoi'jthe invention is to providea resilientvvheelwhich is of the 'disk type and arranged with a tire-ormation'prefg'senting the general appearance of a pneu-1,l

matlctire Wlnle' actually being formed oi a. seriesv of overlapped.segments reslliently` sup-.l

ported on. thejbody'of the Wheel. Y

In the accompanying draWings,-

' YFigure 1 is a side Lvievv ofa resilient Wheel disclosing anembodiment of the invention,

parts being broken aWayfand shown insee# tion, illustrating certaindetails of the invenk tlon;

through Figure l approximatelyon the line Figure 3 is ,a detailfragmentary sectional view oiIv Figure l on'the lineB- f ,Y i l `Figure4 is a `perspective vieW ofoneof the segmental members shown in Figure lFigure 5 is a perspeotiveview of the second;I ormotsegmental membershown 1n Figure l.,

Referring to the acoompanying'dravving .i by numerals, l and 2 indicatesideplates pro-V videdwvith a hub 'structure 3 of any desired kind. Theside plates vor disks land 2are each provided With an annular portionewhich is pressed out so as to press annular grooves 5f vand an exteriorannular bead.A Outward of this annular groove are arranged Y Y a seriesof radially-disposed slots 6; AAs the plates ordislrs l and -2areidenticahthede seription of l will yapply to both.,:.1As indi-` catedin Figure 1, the slots arenearthe outer edge of thelperi'phery oi thediskandvcarry .therespective-fbolts7. These bolts are of ai size tomake' a snug sliding lit in theslots 6` so that they ymay'moveradiallyiorthe length oi the slot. These bolts'are designed to hold inproper operative position l,the respeetivesegments Slandt) Which arereallytire segments,

though they form partof the resilient Wheel. These tire segments areformed substantially l as shownin Figures 4 and 5;VV Als `indioatedinFigure 5, segment 9 A1s made froma `pieceof v Figure 2 is a fragmentarysectional view sheet material bent to present a looped section Y 10vhaving apertures 1l and over-lapped seetionsl2 and 13.'Ak Eachofthe'segments is similarly .m a'de, namely With a looped portion 14Chaving suitable apertures 1,5 and` overl.V

lapped. sections ,16 andrl'. addition, the i loopedjportion lillisgprovided withk i shaped extensions 18 andi?) Which-are'prefer! 7 fably integral withFthevloopedportion 7141, as sho-Wn 1n Figurel, saidextension `being de-V pressed and eonstricted portions adapted to; ivproJectto a point Within thelooped portion` 10. In this vvay, thelsegments are overlapped Aas clearly shown in the upperpart of Figure l,so` thateach of the segments l8 may have a separate movement, AWhileythe 'segments '9i mayimove invvardlyY With either ofthe adj acentsegments 8 Aand may move outwardly separately.thereof.v Eaohof thesegments ifa 8 and 9 is provided 'With' a pairnrof-supporting 1 `springs2O and 2l carried vby an inner ring 22,., These springs ,are preferablyV substantially U-shapedand provided With'an apertureat the center rforaeooinmodatingtl/.ie respective guiding bolts 23 and 24.' The guidingbolts 23 and 24 extendthroughthe overlapped portions of the members 8and .fgthrough the sup-n i. `porting spring associated [therewith fandthrough thering 22, -asclearlyl shovvnin Fig- V ure 2, segment ispreferably' provided with tivo springs, as shown in'Figure l, with thefeet otone spring resting onthe ring 22 and the feet of the otherspringresting fon the segment. It Will be understood that the feet of therespective springs arefiiree and may j slideY slightly, if necessary,While thev centers of the'sprmgs are maintainedl in a given position*against* either the segment or thering 22.

These springs are adaptedtoihold the seg-' ments so that the respectivebolt 7, ivill'be v normally at the radially outerk en d of the re@speetive slots 6, vItis, of course, evident that resiliency, so that theWheel lcould befused for llghtloadsor heavy loads., l/Vhere a lightvehicleiis to vbe supportedas, tor instaneep a" -these springs 'could bemadevvith any desired 10o small, light passengerautemobile, the springsvIf `af heavier load is to `be carried, as for jin'- .are madecorrespondingly lightan'd resilient.. .i l

stance, a vtruelrfortivyton automobile,l the il i springs Wouldnaturally be heavier to support the eXtra load, The ring 22 is dividedatone` point, as indieatedin Figures l and 3. y"At the point of divisionthe respective endsare 11o formed with `overlapping-seetiensj25, and'27,..y Section 26is provided with' a`slot28 so that the' bolt Q9extendinfr 25 and 27 may also extend through this slot and permit arelative sliding movement between section 26 and the other two sections.Thisis to take care of a certain movement in the ring 22 as the wheelfunctions. It will be noted that the bolts 7 will support the ring 22through the respective springs 20 and 2l. For instance, if the segmentsat the bottom of the Wheel be pressed upwardly ivlienthc parts are inthe position shown in Figure l, a corresponding pressure Will be broughtto bear on the ring 22. This is distributed through all of the springsQ0 and 21 tothe various segments and consequently tol the variousbolts,except the bolts associated With the lowermost segi'nents.` In this Waythe lowermost segments may be pressed upward# ly together or separatelyand present a desired cushioned or resilient action, while the strain isdistributed throughout the wheel and eventually to the hub 3. As thewheel moves along the respective segments 8 and 9 Willbe depressed ormoved in radially according to the Weight being supported. As the Wheelrotates and the segments are releasedV they will automatically moveoutwardly and assume idle position, as indicati-ul in Figurel. In caseany of the segments should become broken or injured in anyway or incaseany of the springs should become broken, tivo or more of the bolts 7could be removed and new parts substituted, and after this has been donethe wheel is in its normal useful condition. A certain number ofsegments 8` and 9 have been shown in the drawing, but it Will be evidentthat a` larger number' could be used `for the same size Wheel, or even asmaller number. Preferably, a comparatively large number of segments areused, in `order that a de` sirable cushioned ell'ect may be secured'oneven comparatively rough roads. It Will be noted that all of thepartsare substantially Water-tiglit exceptthe slots 6, so that thechance ot injury to any part is reduced to a minimum, and by reason oi'the easy removal ot any segment, repairs may be made ,quickly andeasily. Usually ordinary nuts inay be used on bolts 7, although, ifdesired, lock nuts may be used or ordinary boltsand eotterpins.l y

tire structure carried by the Wheel body, said What I claim is z- 1. Aresilient Wheel, comprising a body, a

Y tire member associated with the body, said tire member being 'formedwith a plurality of separate sections, certainot said sections beingformed with underlapping extensions unlderlappingthe adjacent sections,springs for normally holding said sections in'aii outer position, a{ioating ring for supporting'said springs, a disk on` each side ot' thefloating ring and overlapping part of said tire inember and a radiallyslidable connection between said disks and said tire member.

42. A resilient Wheel, comprising a "inetal through sections body havinga hub member and "a pair of disks formed with radially extending slots,a `metal tire structure carried by the body formedof a plurality ofseparate sections movable radially separately, bolts extending throughthe slots in said disks and through said sections for limiting theirradial move` ment, independent springs for each section for normallyholding the section in an outer position and a floating ring for`supporting the inner endof said springs.

3. A resilient Wheel, comprisinga metallic n body having a pair ofdisks, each disk near the periphery having a plurality of radial slots,a tire member carried by said body and formed of aplurality of separatesections1 part of each section extending between said'` disks, aplurality of bolts `for each section, said `bolts extending throu hsaid" sections and through the respective s ots, whereby the separateradial movements of the sections are limited, a floating ring arrangedbetween said y disks, a sprinff structure carried by said ring ior eachof said sections for resiliently holob ing the sections in an outerposition, and a bolt for each spring extending through said ring andthrough the inner parts of the respective sections, said bolt permittingthe sections to move towardthe ring as far as the spring will permit butpreventing the secf` thesections separately of the ring, a disk on eachside off said floating ring and overlapping the ring and part of thetire structure,

said disks having radiall positioned slots near their peripheries boltscarried by Vsaid tire sections extending through said slots forconnecting the tire structure to" the disks, While allowing a limitedseparate move ment of the tire structure.

tire structure including al plurality of sections, certain of thesections beingformed of 5. In a resilient Whee1,a wheel body and alooped sheetmetal presenting a link torina` tiox in cross-sectiomandothers of said sec` tions presenting alooped formation having arc-shapedextensions adapted to^ fit into ada jacent sectionsso as to present anarticulated tread structure. i y

Signedat New York, 1ny the county of New York and State of New York this29th day oi. March Afl). ,1928,

'i JACK ALLEN i. i

